Reactivating long‑inactive users to increase profitably

Two real‑world examples that show why contacting “dead” leads (12+ months inactive) can still deliver measurable revenue - when done on an isolated, deliverability‑first stack.

Case Study 1 - Ninja Casino (via OptiKPI)

Industry: iGaming
Goal: re-activate dormant players
Channel: email

What happened?

  • OptiKPI ran a reactivation program targeting recent inactives.
  • +27.3% login uplift   after the campaign window - clear signal that targeted messaging to lapsed users drives action.
  • Primary CRM stayed conservative: users inactive for 1–3 years were excluded to protect sender reputation.

Why that matters?

Traditional CRMs (Customer.io, etc.) protect your main domains and IPs - which means   older dormant users remain untouched  . That’s safe, but it leaves money on the table.

Our angle

  • We run on   fully isolated domains & IPs   - zero exposure to your primary domains.
  • We can target players inactive for  12+ months  with reply‑led sequences and daily reminders.
  • If they engage, we  hand them back  to your CRM for life‑cycle marketing.

Result to expect: Not every brand sees a +27.3% increase in logins - but you will reach users your CRM couldn't touch; without risking your sender reputation.

0% 15% 30% Before After (30 days) +27.3% logins
Login uplift after reactivation wave (inactive <6 months, illustrative).

Key takeaways

  • Dormant users respond strongly when the  offer timing  and creative are right.
  • Older dormants are left out by CRMs due to being considered a  deliverability risk .
  • Running a  separate cold stack  lets you reach them safely and yields good results.

How R2.bet differs

  • There is no age limit to deliverability and leads
  • Everyone who ever engaged with your platform can be considered a fresh lead
  • If a user missed all your emails due to deliverability - we will land in their inbox with your offer once more

Case Study 2 - Major Retailer (E‑commerce)

Industry: Retail
Goal: Revive year-long inactive users
Audience: Over 20M dormants

Program design

  • They set up a  separate sending infrastructure  for their dormant segment (>12 months inactive).
  • They got a second chance to engage with an audience that forgot they existed.
  • Any engagement was  moved back  to the main CRM for ongoing marketing.

Results

  •  3.5M customers reactivated  (from 20M dormants).
  •  ~22% open rate  on win‑back emails across the campaign
  •  ~7:1 ROI  on dedicated reactivation efforts.
  • Re‑engaged buyers had  similar AOV  to never‑dormant customers.
  • Program sustained a  2.3× ROI  over four consecutive years.
22% Open rate 3.5M Reactivated 7× ROI
Reactivation performance metrics (illustrative).

What this proves

  • Year‑long inactives are  not  automatically worthless.
  • With the right approach, they can be reintroduced at a  profit .
  • Once re‑engaged, they go through the same cycles as active users.

Risks & how we mitigate them

  • Deliverability risk → use  isolated IPs/domains , warm‑up & limit mass sending.
  • Compliance risk → Communicate unsubscribes so they can be removed (keeps your CRM list fresh as well).
  • Brand risk → reply‑led sequencing reduces perceived spam and allows users to engage more naturally

Conclusion - Why a separate cold stack pays off

  • Your primary CRM does its job: protects your sender reputation so you can deliver to active users.
  • That has a trade-off of letting many users slip through the cracks of what is considered "active".  We reach those for you .
  • Inbox placement first: With our proprietary server and IP combination, we will land your retargeting offers in the inbox - increasing conversion, retention and brand awareness.
Metric Customer.io Return2.bet
Audience ≤ 12 months inactive 12–36+ months inactive
Limitations Everything older than 12 months is considered dead None
Reputation risk Moderate (need to constantly maintain engagement) None
Handoff On average - 60% open rate 100% delivery rate - up to 80% open rate due to inbox placement
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